John ANGUS  1844 - 1933

It appears that John Angus, b. 1844, was the first member of this Angus family to migrate to Australia.   The location and date are still unknown but most likely it was in the mid 1860's to either South Australia or Victoria.
John is recorded as a farmer living at Kalangadoo, a small community in the south-east of South Australia, near Penola, and is not far from the Victorian border.   On the 3rd February 1869 John married Rebecca SMITH (possible variations of her maiden name are: DEERWARD,  DURWARD, DALWOOD), a 35 y.o. widow of Charles Smith who had died on 25 August 1868. 

John was about 10 years her junior and took on the added responsibility of  her 7 children.  In May 1870 John and Rebecca had a daughter, Rebecca ANGUS who later died at 6 weeks.   She was buried at the old Penola Cemetery on 23 April 1870.   Her mother Rebecca is believed to have died in child-birth.   At about this time John appeared in the Penola Court owing a large sum of money to a John RALSTON, the matter was settled.   RALSTON was to appear again in 1884, somehow linked to John's next relationship.................

Mary DEARSLEY
A woman with a long interesting  history who may not have been the perfect lady.

CASTERTON is in Victoria and about 60 kms east of Kalangadoo. 
During the period of 1871 to 1878, John is known to have been living with a Mary DEARSLEY (nee HUTCHINSON), a separated mother of 4 children. 
John and Mary had two sons - Robert ANGUS, b. 19 August 1872 and  Hartley ANGUS, b. 30 March 1876.   They were the only remaining members of the Australian Angus family that had eluded my efforts to find out what happened to them - until late September 2004.   

After 15 years of 'brick walls' they were finally located  in South Australia.  It came about by an acquaintance in Ballarat searching for any names that were linked to Casterton during the First World War.   The name Hartley DRESSLEY came up, on further investigation his brother was Robert & father noted as John DRESSLEY, both born in Casterton.  Darryl checked and found that the name of DRESSLEY was never associated with the Casterton area.  Hartley was found to have  married in Adelaide in 1918 (9th Light Horse).  I checked the dates supplied and they fitted perfectly with Hartley's birth year of 1876.  On viewing his marriage certificate it clearly stated his father was John ANGUS.

Robert died in 1833 ad was buried at Ceduna.   He had been a miner in Tarcoola, South Australia when his brother married.  Hartley shows that he was a Returned soldier and at death had been a carpenter.   He died of  'Silicosis Pulmonis' which suggests he was also a miner at some stage (this is a lung condition from exposure to Silica crystal dust that eventually caused heart failure.)

The story of this relationship is told in a Court Report in the 'Border Watch' newspaper (copy on the next page). John was arrested in MILLICENT and taken to MOUNT GAMBIER where he appeared before that Court for deserting his two illegitimate children.   The magistrate was T.J.S. O'HALLORAN who released him due to lack of evidence and the uncorroborated testimony of a woman!  Mary later returned to Casterton where she had a further two children by unknown father/s.  In short - John left Mary in early 1878 and moved back to South Australia to eventually marry Sarah Margaret BOX on the  27th November 1879.  John and Sarah were to have 7 children -

 Capt Robert Alexander ANGUS  1848 - 1932

Robert was born at KIRKDALE near LIVERPOOL in 1848.   He married Mary Sophia HARFORD on 4th June 1874.  Both Robert & Mary are recorded as living in Wellington Road, TOXTETH PARK  at the time of marriage.   They subsequently moved nearby to Cockburn Street where they were to have 2 sons  -  Robert Hartley ANGUS (1875 - 1953) and William ANGUS (1877 - 1878) 

Robert Alexander was to become a 'First Mate' and sailed on several ships out of LIVERPOOL.     He later qualified as  a Master Mariner on the 5th April 1880.     His wife Mary and son Robert sailed to Australia from PLYMOUTH departing 23 Feb 1883 aboard the 'DUNDEE' and arriving at Port Adelaide on 28th May 1883.  It is assumed Robert snr came on another ship as part of the crew.

Robert and Mary lived most of their time in South Australia at GLANVILLE  & SEMAPHORE (near Port Adelaide)    Capt. Robert became associated with the P&O shipping line and the ADELAIDE STEAMSHIP COMPANY.   He held a Pilot's Certificate for Port Adelaide & Melbourne, was involved in the construction of the 'Outer Harbour' (S.Aust), and assessing the suitability of Fremantle as a port for use by P&O.   In his later years he was also in charge of dredges which included the navigation of same from South Australia to Western Australia.  His obituary in a newspaper dated Feb 11, 1932 stated amongst other things:               "..........He was at sea altogether for 56 years, during which time he never met with a serious mishap.   He was a man highly respected and held in high esteem as a navigator........"

 Their son Robert Hartley married Mabel HANCOCK in 1902 at SEMAPHORE.   He was to obtain employment as an engineer with McIlwrath, McEacharn Ltd and spend the rest of his life in Western Australia.

Eliza ANGUS  1811 - 1897

Eliza (nee HARTLEY)  was the last known member of the family to travel to Australia.  At the age of  74 yrs she boarded the ship 'SORATA' in May 1885.  The voyage from London via; Plymouth, Naples, Port Said, Suez & Diego Garcia to arrive at GLENELG on the 15th May 1885.  For a person of her age this would possibly be a demanding trip even on our modern ships let alone the vessels used in those days!   After disembarking, the ship went on to Melbourne and Eliza made the short trip to her son John's property at Angus Avenue, EDWARDSTOWN. 

Eliza was to die on the family property on the 30th December 1897 and buried at the Cheltenham Cemetery